diff --git a/1 b/1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..377f7756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/1
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Error: cannot pass files in when using null-input flag
diff --git a/acceptance_tests/bad_args.sh b/acceptance_tests/bad_args.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..3517421a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance_tests/bad_args.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+tearDown() {
+  set -e
+}
+
+testWriteInPlacePipeIn() {
+  set +e
+  result=$(./yq e -i -n '.a' 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file" "$result"
+}
+
+testWriteInPlacePipeInEvalall() {
+  set +e
+  result=$(./yq ea -i -n '.a' 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file" "$result"
+}
+
+testWriteInPlaceWithSplit() {
+  set +e
+  result=$(./yq e -s "cat" -i '.a = "thing"' test.yml 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: write inplace cannot be used with split file" "$result"
+}
+
+testWriteInPlaceWithSplitEvalAll() {
+  set +e
+  result=$(./yq ea -s "cat" -i '.a = "thing"' test.yml 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: write inplace cannot be used with split file" "$result"
+}
+
+testNullWithFiles() {
+  set +e
+  result=$(./yq e -n '.a = "thing"' test.yml 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: cannot pass files in when using null-input flag" "$result"
+}
+
+testNullWithFilesEvalAll() {
+  set +e
+  result=$(./yq ea -n '.a = "thing"' test.yml 2>&1)
+  assertEquals 1 $?
+  assertEquals "Error: cannot pass files in when using null-input flag" "$result"
+}
+
+
+
+source ./scripts/shunit2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go b/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
index d8dc02c8..af3c6ec7 100644
--- a/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
+++ b/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/pkg/yqlib"
@@ -41,39 +40,23 @@ Note that it consumes more memory than eval.
 	return cmdEvalAll
 }
 func evaluateAll(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
 	// 0 args, read std in
 	// 1 arg, null input, process expression
 	// 1 arg, read file in sequence
 	// 2+ args, [0] = expression, file the rest
 
 	var err error
+
+	firstFileIndex, err := initCommand(cmd, args)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	stat, _ := os.Stdin.Stat()
 	pipingStdIn := (stat.Mode() & os.ModeCharDevice) == 0
 
 	out := cmd.OutOrStdout()
 
-	fileInfo, _ := os.Stdout.Stat()
-
-	if forceColor || (!forceNoColor && (fileInfo.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice) != 0) {
-		colorsEnabled = true
-	}
-
-	firstFileIndex := -1
-	if !nullInput && len(args) == 1 {
-		firstFileIndex = 0
-	} else if len(args) > 1 {
-		firstFileIndex = 1
-	}
-
-	if writeInplace && (firstFileIndex == -1) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file")
-	}
-
-	if writeInplace && splitFileExp != "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Write inplace cannot be used with split file")
-	}
-
 	if writeInplace {
 		// only use colors if its forced
 		colorsEnabled = forceColor
@@ -87,14 +70,6 @@ func evaluateAll(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		defer func() { writeInPlaceHandler.FinishWriteInPlace(completedSuccessfully) }()
 	}
 
-	if nullInput && len(args) > 1 {
-		return errors.New("Cannot pass files in when using null-input flag")
-	}
-	// backwards compatibilty
-	if outputToJSON {
-		outputFormat = "json"
-	}
-
 	format, err := yqlib.OutputFormatFromString(outputFormat)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go b/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
index c2b32d79..e875c4bd 100644
--- a/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
+++ b/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
@@ -54,39 +54,22 @@ func processExpression(expression string) string {
 }
 
 func evaluateSequence(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
 	// 0 args, read std in
 	// 1 arg, null input, process expression
 	// 1 arg, read file in sequence
 	// 2+ args, [0] = expression, file the rest
 
 	var err error
+	firstFileIndex, err := initCommand(cmd, args)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	stat, _ := os.Stdin.Stat()
 	pipingStdIn := (stat.Mode() & os.ModeCharDevice) == 0
 
 	out := cmd.OutOrStdout()
 
-	fileInfo, _ := os.Stdout.Stat()
-
-	if forceColor || (!forceNoColor && (fileInfo.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice) != 0) {
-		colorsEnabled = true
-	}
-
-	firstFileIndex := -1
-	if !nullInput && len(args) == 1 {
-		firstFileIndex = 0
-	} else if len(args) > 1 {
-		firstFileIndex = 1
-	}
-
-	if writeInplace && (firstFileIndex == -1) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file")
-	}
-
-	if writeInplace && splitFileExp != "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Write inplace cannot be used with split file")
-	}
-
 	if writeInplace {
 		// only use colors if its forced
 		colorsEnabled = forceColor
@@ -100,11 +83,6 @@ func evaluateSequence(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		defer func() { writeInPlaceHandler.FinishWriteInPlace(completedSuccessfully) }()
 	}
 
-	// backwards compatibilty
-	if outputToJSON {
-		outputFormat = "json"
-	}
-
 	format, err := yqlib.OutputFormatFromString(outputFormat)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -116,10 +94,6 @@ func evaluateSequence(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	streamEvaluator := yqlib.NewStreamEvaluator()
 
-	if nullInput && len(args) > 1 {
-		return errors.New("Cannot pass files in when using null-input flag")
-	}
-
 	if frontMatter != "" {
 		frontMatterHandler := yqlib.NewFrontMatterHandler(args[firstFileIndex])
 		err = frontMatterHandler.Split()
diff --git a/cmd/printer_utils.go b/cmd/printer_utils.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9f638bff..00000000
--- a/cmd/printer_utils.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-package cmd
-
-import (
-	"io"
-
-	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/pkg/yqlib"
-)
-
-func configurePrinterWriter(format yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat, out io.Writer) yqlib.PrinterWriter {
-
-	var printerWriter yqlib.PrinterWriter
-
-	if splitFileExp != "" {
-		colorsEnabled = forceColor
-		splitExp, err := yqlib.NewExpressionParser().ParseExpression(splitFileExp)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil
-		}
-		printerWriter = yqlib.NewMultiPrinterWriter(splitExp, format)
-	} else {
-		printerWriter = yqlib.NewSinglePrinterWriter(out)
-	}
-	return printerWriter
-}
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80a2b295
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/pkg/yqlib"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func initCommand(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (firstFileIndex int, err error) {
+	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+
+	fileInfo, _ := os.Stdout.Stat()
+
+	if forceColor || (!forceNoColor && (fileInfo.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice) != 0) {
+		colorsEnabled = true
+	}
+
+	firstFileIndex = -1
+	if !nullInput && len(args) == 1 {
+		firstFileIndex = 0
+	} else if len(args) > 1 {
+		firstFileIndex = 1
+	}
+
+	// backwards compatibilty
+	if outputToJSON {
+		outputFormat = "json"
+	}
+
+	if writeInplace && (firstFileIndex == -1) {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("write inplace flag only applicable when giving an expression and at least one file")
+	}
+
+	if writeInplace && splitFileExp != "" {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("write inplace cannot be used with split file")
+	}
+
+	if nullInput && len(args) > 1 {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("cannot pass files in when using null-input flag")
+	}
+
+	return firstFileIndex, nil
+}
+
+func configurePrinterWriter(format yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat, out io.Writer) yqlib.PrinterWriter {
+
+	var printerWriter yqlib.PrinterWriter
+
+	if splitFileExp != "" {
+		colorsEnabled = forceColor
+		splitExp, err := yqlib.NewExpressionParser().ParseExpression(splitFileExp)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		printerWriter = yqlib.NewMultiPrinterWriter(splitExp, format)
+	} else {
+		printerWriter = yqlib.NewSinglePrinterWriter(out)
+	}
+	return printerWriter
+}